KANSAS CITY — Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark opened the conference’s men’s basketball tournament Tuesday morning with his annual press briefing, touching on topics ranging from the league’s television deals to its place atop the college basketball landscape.
“We are thrilled to be back here at T-Mobile Center as we host what I think is the best conference tournament in America,” Yormark said.
But the commissioner saved his strongest words for the question-and-answer period after being asked by a Utah-based reporter if the conference is considering more harsh punishments for schools that violate the conference’s sportsmanship policies.
Last month, Oklahoma State was fined $50,000 for “inappropriate chants which referenced the Mormon religion that occurred during Wednesday’s men’s basketball game,” the conference said in a statement on Feb. 8. Last fall, Colorado was fined $50,000 for similar derogatory chants directed at BYU fans during a football game against the Cougars in Boulder.
“Well, let me start off by saying we have zero tolerance for that, and I speak to you both as the commissioner of the Big 12, but also as someone that has high integrity,” Yormark said, noting that if any of his children used those words, they would never be allowed to come home again.
“I think it’s a lot of education that needs to happen with some of the student-athletes, because our student sections … is where it’s coming from,” Yormark said. “… I take it very seriously. It’s a very personal thing for me. I’m Jewish. I grew up in a very diverse background. I felt hate as a young man, and I didn’t like it, and I’m here based on those experiences and in my position to try to bring about change, and change behavior.”
Yormark said he has spent a lot of time talking to school presidents and athletic directors about the matter, especially with BYU president C. Shane Reese. He said more time will be spent on it in the conference’s spring meetings.
“I am working very closely with Shane. … We talk often about it, because he knows it’s a very personal thing for me, and I’m embarrassed by it and not happy about it,” Yormark continued. “We need to do something about it, and we got to change behavior. We are going to roll up our sleeves and dig in in our spring meetings and address it as a group, the presidents and the ADs. I’m very confident we will get to a better place.”
In the statement after it fined Oklahoma State, the conference said it “will not tolerate any behavior that targets or demeans others.”
There were reports of Cincinnati fans using derogatory religious chants directed at BYU and the faith that supports it — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — at last fall’s BYU-Cincinnati football game in Ohio, but the school was never publicly fined or reprimanded.
At last week’s BYU-Cincinnati basketball game at Fifth Third Arena, security was beefed up and there were no reported incidents as the Bearcats beat the Cougars 90-68 in front of 12,000 fans, including a couple hundred BYU fans.
After the OSU game in Stillwater, BYU basketball coach Kevin Young ended his postgame news conference by referencing the derogatory chants.
“There were some ‘F the Mormons’ chants tonight by the student section that I heard,” Young said. “You know, it is a great win for Oklahoma State University. Their fans should be proud. But it would be great if, you know, some class was (shown) in there as well.”
In addition to Oklahoma State, Cincinnati and Colorado, the derogatory chants have occurred at USC (2021), Oregon (2022), Providence College (2024) and Arizona (2025). All those schools issued apologies for the behavior.